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Placenta Abruptio

Topic Overview

What is placenta abruptio?

Placenta abruptio is a
pregnancy problem in which the placenta separates too early from the wall of the uterus. The
placenta is a round, flat organ that forms during
pregnancy. It gives the baby food and oxygen from the mother.

In a normal
pregnancy, the placenta stays firmly attached to the inside wall of the
uterus until after the baby is born.

In placenta abruptio, the placenta breaks away (abrupts) from the wall of the uterus too
early, before the baby is born.

Placenta abruptio can be very harmful. In rare cases, it can be deadly.

What are the symptoms?

If you have placenta
abruptio, you may notice one or more warning signs. Call your doctor right away
if you are pregnant and you:

Have light to moderate bleeding from your vagina.

Have a painful or sore uterus. It
might also feel hard or rigid.

Have signs of early labor. These include
regular contractions and aches or pains in your lower back or belly.

Notice that your baby is moving less than usual.

You can't really tell how serious placenta
abruptio is by the
amount of vaginal bleeding. Sometimes the blood gets trapped between the placenta
and the wall of the uterus. So there might be a serious problem even if there is
only a little bleeding.

If your baby is premature, he or she may be treated in a neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU. The NICU is geared to the needs of premature or ill newborns.

Can you prevent placenta abruptio?

There is no sure way to prevent placenta abruptio, but you can do things to lower your risk. Your risk is much higher than normal if you have had placenta abruptio before, so these steps are very important.

If you have high blood pressure, follow your doctor's treatment advice.

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